Even though filing for personal bankruptcy can seem like something to put off, you should not wait too long to do it. Know what you are about to go through and then learn some tips to get through it as painless as possible. Use the tips and information that follows, as a way to reduce the stress you experience.
Don’t be afraid to apply for credit for purchases such as a new home or car just because you have a recently discharged bankruptcy. Many lenders will take your new financial situation into account. They may be more likely to loan money to someone who has no debt due to a bankruptcy than to the person with, say, 75,000 dollars in credit card debt. The fact that you have no monthly credit card payments can make you look like a better risk.
If you are planning to file for bankruptcy, you do not need to lose your home, car or other items that you have loans for. If you wish to keep them, however, you must make the payments on a timely basis in order to avoid repossession. If the payments are too much to handle, your bankruptcy attorney may be able to arrange for an evaluation of your loan and negotiate a lower monthly payment. In the case of a home, you may look into a loan modification or refinance to reduce your payment amount.
Don’t think of bankruptcy as the ruination of your financial future. Once your bankruptcy has been discharged, you can begin to work on re-building your credit right away. By continuing to make timely monthly payments and not applying for new credit, you can significantly raise your credit score within 6 months. And, if you maintain good credit for that amount of time, you may find it possible to get approval for loans to make large purchases, such as a home or car.
Prescreen any bankruptcy lawyer before hiring one. Because bankruptcy is an every-growing area of law that attracts new lawyers all the time, you are likely to encounter many new lawyers who do not have much experience. You can check any bankruptcy lawyer’s credentials online and see if they have any disciplinary actions on their record for improper filings or practices. You are also likely to find client ratings. In the matter of choosing a lawyer, one with experience and a positive record is always best.
Start planning for your life after bankruptcy now. The entire process can be very overwhelming, and leave you feeling like you have few to little options. You begin rebuilding your financial future right away. Get solid advice from trusted sources, be prepared to work hard at it, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to dream again!
Be fully educated about the rules of bankruptcy. If the courts were to find that you have disregarded any of the rules in place, your petition could be dismissed. Laws prohibit picking and choosing some debts to pay off prior to filing for bankruptcy. Family members cannot be paid off within one year of filing and creditors are limited to ninety days.
Before you make a final decision to file for bankruptcy, look into all the options that are available to help your financial situation. If you are buried under credit card debt, it can help to check out a debt-consolidation, or home-equity loan if you qualify. You can also try negotiating smaller payments on your debt until, your finances are better in control. Bankruptcy is always an option, but if you can alleviate your problems in another way, you will be able to avoid a major hit to your credit history.
Start taking calls from bill collectors. You may have been avoiding calls from bill collectors, but if you are filing bankruptcy you may need to speak to them. You need to have all of your debts laid out so that your lawyer can get to work involving them in your case. If you don’t include a debt, it will not be discharged, and you will still have to pay it.
Make sure that you fully understand the implications of declaring yourself bankrupt. Once you have filed for bankruptcy, you will find it difficult to secure any credit at all. While you may not see that consequence as a huge problem at the moment, if you wish to purchase a home in the future, or lease an automobile, you are probably going to need the credit.
Do not hide assets while you are preparing to go through a bankruptcy. It may be tempting to take a home and/or other property and place it in a spouse’s name, but if you get caught doing that you will face charges for fraud. The penalties being jail time and/or fines.
Once you have made the decision to go ahead with the process of filing personal bankruptcy, use the tips here to help you through it. You will find it much easier to manage the process, now that you have taken the first step and looked for the help you have received here.
